TEMPORARY NOTICE FOR VISITATION

Keeping a Sanctuary Afloat

We have received many inquiries about why we have decided to no longer accept animals at the Pig-A-Sus Homestead Sanctuary. So instead of repeating over and over, that we are out of funds, I have decided to show persons what we and I am sure many others in the same situation face.

1. Our number one priority is the facility. You have to make sure that you have a safe, healthy and most of all clean facility for your animals, so that you are not having additional cost for illness or infections. This means good brands of cleaners that do not have a lot of pesticides. (Monthly cost apx. $50.00)

2. You have in the winter added expense for bedding and the price of straw (in our area $5.00 per bale monthly $ 100.00) in some places in the east they do not have straw in which they are using a lot of small bales of hay (Min. cost $ 8.00 to 11.00 bale)

3. In the summer there is added expense for water on top of your normal utilities (for us starting in May our water bill jumps to $ 350/$500.00 per month until September when we start to drop)
BUT the winter expense starts to kick in. For us it is the wood for the heater for the (proven to be an excellent choice for health for the potbelly pig) which is $1,400.00 per semi load, (we use 3 loads min. per year) vs. the cost of propane/ electricity, plus out solar panel units really help with winter expense for heat also in the therapy unit.

4. You have your feed, supplements, treats. This based on just our facility runs in the summer when cost is lower than in winter as we double the feed when the temperatures hit the “freezing” mark, so that the potbelly pig does not use the “stored body fat” for excessive heat. Not all of our potbelly pigs are in the “heated hut” program, due to the fact of the economy this last year, we have not been able to construct the main “community” building, which in the long term aspect, would cheapen the overall winter expense maybe a 1/3.

5. . You then have your vet bills, again for our facility based on 70 potbelly pigs, roughly in the neighborhood $6,500/7,000. Per year including vet fees, vaccinations, worming and does not include a type of Emergency. The Pig-A-Sus is very lucky to have a vet on board that has never told us no to any type of treatment that is needed in an emergency and never “made us feel inadequate when having to ask for arrangements for billing.”

These are things that really count when you have a Rescue, having persons work with you, especially now in this state of economy. The people who support what you are doing are the people who make this work. We have never been lucky enough to have steady volunteers, as they see the work that is required .

In some cases, the ultimate choice has to be made when the expense over rides the quality of life, It isn’t the people who visit occasionally, those who sometimes have a few extra dollars to donate to help out, or those who come 1 or 2 times a year for the Open Houses ( which again sometimes no matter the organization , cost the organization money), who deal with the problems both financial, emergencies, and hard core choices, it is the people who have chosen to give animals an extra chance. It is very hard to watch causing lots of sleepless nights to look at animals that people just no longer want and think they will just relinquish to a facility. It is very irritating when they say, “Oh, we have to give you a fee to take our animal?” This is ever so true in the world of the Potbelly Pig, Where do they think we get our funding to provide homes for the unwanted animals?

On top of all of the extremely necessary dollars needed to provide a quality of life for the animal, you have the cost of insurances, taxes on the property, office, fuel, bank fees, web site care, added to the Rescue itself.

This isn’t anything that does not happen to any rescue, many are lucky to have great supporters, able to obtain grants repeatedly, some are County supported and even nationally supported. As none of this, with the exception of the Mesa County Project P.U.P’s program Spay & Neuter, our local TV station KKCO, KEKB radio and at times when we pressure our local newspapers will do an article, is seemingly available for Potbelly Pig rescues not only here, but anywhere in the USA. It is sad that they became such a wonderful pet in the 1980’s just to be ignored in the following generations.

We do have several supporters that have been with us from the very beginning who know that it is a “Struggle” at times to continue. But we have always had our “fall back” plan which is no longer going to be available.

Maybe this will explain to those of you who have wanted to know about why we are posting that we can no longer take additional potbelly pigs for our facility. It is with regret that it has come to this, but we feel it is the only choice that we have to assure that the potbelly pigs that are now here have the quality of life they so deserve.

In good years we have been able to pinch corners by supplementing with our income and make a wonderful facility for our animals. In the last few years with the economy failing and our job situations at risk daily, that is no longer a possibility, so our only choice is “Not to be able to take additional animals Which is a very heart breaking decision, but a reality one.” We have overcome a lot in the past, the floods (yes there has been 2), the wind destruction and the epidemic of the mycoplasma pneumonia, the heat and winters and lack of volunteers.

We will still have a web site so please check it when you have a moment.

We will also still be available for consultations, problem solving, vet referrals and most of all, trying to help cities and counties find a “happy medium” for the potbelly pig pet owner to be able to keep their beloved pet in their own home.

We will still be available for “school and special needs” visits. But may have to begin a fee as all have been “free” in the past.

WE WILL JUST NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT MORE POTBELLY PIGS

PLUS, someday, somehow, we will convince the Government in Counties, States and the whole USA, that these are one of the best COMPANION ANIMAL THAT ANYONE COULD HAVE.

We are now taking visitation by appointment only for the Holidays:
Please call 970-858-9628 or 970-858-3204 a scheduled time
as we will have no one to show you around due to work schedules

AS OF JANUARY 1, 2013 THERE WILL BE A FEE FOR VISITATION

Thank you,
Pig-A-Sus Homestead Sanctuary
Sioux & Rocky Bartels

Please do not Judge us by decisions...

Judge us by the decision of reality and quality of life for the animals.